Thank You
by temari13
Summary: What happened right after Temari saved Shikamaru from the Sound ninja Tayuya? this story explores one possibility. Please keep your flames small, no swearing please. This is my first story on here.
1. Chapter 1

**Shikamaru had no idea how he had managed to get himself stuck in this mess. While half of his brain tried to figure out how he got into this, the other half was frantically trying to figure out how to get out of it. The only problem was his brain wouldn't function properly. He cursed mentally. He had a 200+ IQ and it was getting him nowhere. The shadow ninja thought back to the events preceding this one. He had been appointed team captain over Kiba, Neji, Naruto, and Chouji. Their mission: retrieve Sasuke from the clutches of the Sound ninja. His team had split up to defeat the Sound ninja. First, they left Chouji behind. Then Neji, and then Kiba. And he had stayed behind to fight Tayuya while Naruto hurried on ahead so he could fulfill his promise to Sakura.  
**

**Shikamaru had no idea if they were still alive. He'd been fighting against Tayuya for some time but was making little headway. He'd been certain he wouldn't live. Then a huge gust of wind had blown the Sound girl at least twenty feet away. His knees turned weak as he realized that he knew where it had come from. The only woman scarier than his mom.  
**

**Temari.  
**

**The Sand kunoichi landed lightly on the tree limb beside him, turned, and grinned that cocky grin of hers. He'd been surprised to see her since it had been her village that had attacked his. But she put his fears to rest when she revealed that they had not wanted to attack his village and that the Hokage had requested the Sand's help. But that talk soon turned to the discussion of how to defeat that Sound girl. Two minutes later, Shikamaru stared in shock at the destroyed forest.  
**

**"What a violent person." His heart nearly stopped beating when she turned around, her fan still open. He inwardly stiffened and waited for whatever she was going to do to him.  
"How was that?" She grinned. A lopsided smile appeared on his face. "It wasn't bad, I suppose. I think you could have spared those trees, though. They never did anything to you."  
The grin was replaced by a scowl and her eyes glinted dangerously. "So I get no thanks for saving your worthless life? Ungrateful jerk." Shikamaru shrugged. "I didn't say I wasn't thankful. You asked me how that was so I answered." The fan-wielding kunoichi paused for a moment then smiled. She folded her fan up and carefully laid it down on the thick branch. **

**She caught his eye. Shikamaru gulped. He couldn't identify that look she had. Was it her death glare? Or some other glare he had not seen before? Suddenly, he felt something touch his back. Cocking his head slightly, he noticed that he was right up against the trunk of the tree. He had unconsciously been backing away from Temari. And now he was stuck. "Don't you know it's polite to say thank you?" She whispered. She was now directly in front of him. **

**"I suppose I'll have to teach you some manners."  
Shikamaru's heartbeat quickened as she leaned closer, closer, closer...And that was how he'd ended up in this predicament. There was no escaping it. **

**Not when he was pressed against a tree with his lips crushed against Temari's lips and her tongue shoved in his mouth.  
This was not something he knew how to do. Even with his 200+ IQ he was struggling with it. He just didn't understand what the big deal was about kissing someone. Besides the fact that you couldn't breathe.**

**Then, just as abruptly as she had kissed him, she stopped. "I should be going now. I did what I was told to." Her back was facing him but he saw that her shoulders drooped slightly. He heard the faint note of disappointment in her voice. He struggled to find something - anything! To say. Only one thing came to mind. **

**"You can't leave yet. I didn't thank you." The shadow boy smirked as she whirled around, shock evident in her green eyes. "Wh-what did you say?" She sputtered, obviously taken aback. He grinned lazily. "You heard me." He stepped forward and caught her wrists in his hands, jerking her towards him.  
Their mouths collided once more and she immediately forced her tongue back into his mouth. Cautiously, he turned them around and pushed her against the tree. Temari was surprised. She had been certain that he didn't like this. It looked like she was wrong. Her fingers quickly undid his Chunnin vest. She trailed her fingers up his chest, feeling him shudder. It was her turn to shudder when he ran his hands down her sides and over her hips. He intensified the kiss, pressing against her. Finally they broke apart, each gasping for breath. Temari could feel her cheeks burning and saw that he was red-faced as well.  
**

**"Let's keep this between the two of us." Shikamaru managed to say. Temari nodded. "All right." Without another word, they began leaping from tree to tree. Both ninja were fully aware that they would never be able to look at each other the same way again. They could never be "just friends." There was no moving back. Not after what had just transpired between them.  
They could only move forward.**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Like I said before, I don't own Naruto. If I did, I'd find some way to make it so that the Fourth Hokage is still alive.

Temari sighed as she watched Shikamaru pace back and forth. They had been waiting to hear about his best friend Choji's condition for well over an hour. She was becoming irritated with his behavior. She breathed a sigh of relief when he sat down, but he didn't stay still for long. He proceeded to clasp his hands together and twiddle his thumbs.  
"He'll be fine, you know." She said in a cold tone. He just looked at her and she softened slightly. "What are you scared of? Getting hurt?"  
His eyes narrowed but then he glanced down at his hands and sighed. "I don't think I'm cut out for this." At her raised eyebrow he continued. "Being a ninja. A leader. I thought that maybe I was ready, but I guess I was mistaken. I quit." He stood up.  
Temari's mouth dropped open. He was quitting?! She watched as the shadow ninja stood up, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and shuffled away. Her expression fell as she thought about the wonderful future he was throwing away. He had been fine until they discovered how badly injured his friends were. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a man who looked like an older Shikamaru.  
"That was pretty pathetic, Shikamaru. You get yelled at by a girl and walk away." The man spoke.  
"Yeah, well, I'm not a girl. I don't want to argue. It's too troublesome."  
"You know, you could quit being a ninja. Your friends would just get assigned to a new leader and then they might all die! You're just a coward!"  
Temari bit her lip as she watched the boy's shoulders droop even more. She felt sorry for him because she knew what it was like to have your father disappointed in you. It had happened to her many times before. She was about to say something when the door to her left opened and a blonde woman wearing a low-cut shirt stepped out. Temari recognized her as the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.  
"Choji's going to be fine." The new Hokage walked over to the bench across from Temari and sat down. "Thank you for the use of your medical book, Shikaku. You obviously spent allot of time and effort with that."  
Shikaku smiled and nodded his head. "Thank you."  
Just then, a black-haired woman came running down the hall. "Tsunade, great news! Neji Hyuga is in stable condition. And there's more. Kakashi has returned with Naruto. Naruto's injuries are severe but he'll be fine."  
Tsunade sighed. "Well, Shikamaru, it seems as though your mission was a failure. But everyone's alive. That's the most important thing."  
Temari shot a look at Shikamaru and was startled to see his shoulders shaking. A closer observation of him revealed tears coursing their way down his cheeks. Staring at him transfixed, she almost missed hearing the words he spoke.  
"Next time, I will do it. I will do it with no mistakes."  
That night, as she lay on the bed in the hotel room she was sharing with her brothers, her mind raced. It refused to shut down. Normally, she could lie down and fall asleep within five minutes but not tonight. Her tossing and turning caught Gaara's attention, as he was sitting by the window since he never slept.  
"What's wrong?" His monotone voice broke through the silence.  
Temari sighed. "I don't know. There's just something about Shikamaru that intrigues me. Maybe it's the way he walks or talks or...I don't know."  
Gaara was quiet for a moment. "Do you love him?"  
Her gaze jerked over to him. "Say what?! Now hold on, Gaara. Just wait a minute. Do I love him? I don't think so. I mean, I hardly know him. Besides, he's three years younger than I am and from a different village." She was babbling but she didn't care.  
"Hey, I'm trying to sleep here. Shut up." Kankuro growled. "Go talk somewhere else."  
"Sorry, Sleeping Beauty. We'll be quiet so you can get your beauty rest." She grinned.  
"Haha. Very funny, Temari. Now go away." He rolled over and was soon breathing even again, indicating he was asleep.  
"Let's take a walk." The red-headed boy stood and crossed over to the door. "That way we can talk and not disturb Kankuro."  
Temari shook her head ever so slightly. She still could not get used to the change she saw in Gaara ever since that fight with the blonde-haired, loud-mouthed brat, Naruto. A few weeks earlier, Gaara would not have even considered Kankuro's feelings, much less actually want to talk to her. She supposed this change in him wasn't that bad.  
Once outside, she breathed in the fresh air. It was a bit chilly, but nothing compared to nights in the desert. She only wished that she had brought an outfit that covered more of her legs rather than show them off. She grinned to herself, remembering the occasional glance she had received from Shikamaru during their journey back to his village. That boy had had a difficult time keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead and not on her chest or legs.  
"It's nice out, isn't it?"  
Temari blinked. Gaara was noticing the weather? And calling it 'nice'? "Uhh, yeah, I guess so."  
"Temari, do you believe in love?" He asked quietly.  
She paused. "Well, I suppose I do. Why do you ask?"  
"I was merely wondering. Do you feel loved?"  
She stopped. "Gaara, even though you may not feel loved, it doesn't mean you aren't loved. I know that I haven't acted like I love you, but, and I'm ashamed to admit this, I was scared of you." He looked at her intently and she took that as a sign to continue. "I never knew what you were going to do or how you would react so I stayed away."  
"I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I don't know how I can make it up to you, but I'll try."  
Temari felt her heart soften towards her youngest brother. "Gaara, you don't have to make it up to me. I'm the one who should be sorry. Maybe if I had tried to get close to you-"  
"No, Temari. If you had tried that, you would be dead. But enough talking about that. I'm going back to the hotel."  
Temari opened her mouth but before she could say anything, he disappeared in a cloud of sand. She frowned, wondering if she had said something that might have caused him to leave quickly.  
"Hey, what are you doing still up?"  
She whirled around, a hand raising to her fan, and halted. "You're lucky I didn't hit you or you would be in the hospital next to your friend."  
Shikamaru snorted. "You couldn't touch me with that."  
She raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Right." With one smooth movement, she had her fan out and swung it hard. He ducked to avoid it and she dropped down, kicking his legs out from underneath him. He landed hard on his back.  
"I told you that you couldn't touch me with that." He smirked.  
"It wasn't my plan to hit you with it." Temari smiled wickedly as she knelt beside him, leaned over, and kissed him. She felt him hesitate then slowly start to respond. Her right hand slid up his chest, coming to a rest on his cheek and turning his head so she could kiss him better. His hands brushed against her waist as they traveled upward to her neck. She growled when he skipped over her chest and attempted to bite his tongue. Unfortunately, he withdrew his tongue and she ended up biting her own. She pulled apart.  
"That was rude."  
"And you trying to bite my tongue wasn't?" He sighed impatiently.  
"Well..."  
"Troublesome woman." He muttered, pushing himself up to lean on his elbows.  
"Uh-uh." Temari waved a finger at him. "I want you down."  
He groaned. "No. Temari, we're in the middle of the street. Someone could see us."  
"Awww. Poor Shikamaru has a reputation to maintain?"  
"Shut up." He growled, his irritation rising. "What I meant was this isn't the place to be kissing you."  
"You need to liven up some. Come on, be bold for once, Shikamaru!"  
"I was bold when I kissed you in that tree!"  
"I'm sure that you can be more bolder than that! For crying out loud, you won't even touch me here!" Temari grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest. She smirked at his wide-eyed expression. "Weren't expecting that, were you?"  
Shikamaru tried to yank his hand away and she released it. "Temari, I'm only thirteen."  
"It doesn't make a difference. I was thirteen when I first made-out with a guy. And he was four years older than me."  
The shadow boy gave her an incredulous look. "You were thirteen and you dated a seventeen year old guy?"  
"Yes. Stop looking at me like I just grew a second head. I was raised differently. My mother died when I was three and..." Her voice cracked and she broke off. She didn't trust herself to keep talking.  
"Temari, why don't you cry?" He asked softly.  
"Because I was trained not to. It proves that I'm weak. And don't try arguing with me. You're lucky that you could cry this afternoon and get away with it. You can show who you really are and not worry about what people think about you. I can't. The real me is hidden under years and years of emotional training."  
"Well, yeah, that may be true. But I also wear a mask, I guess you could say. My lazy, carefree attitude isn't the real me, either. But I think that if you dig deep enough, you'll find who you really are." Shikamaru grasped her hand in his.  
"You really think so?" Temari looked hopefully down at him.  
"Yeah. But you don't have to do it alone. I'll help you. And maybe together, we'll discover who we both are meant to be."  
"Thank you, Shikamaru." Temari whispered softly. "You don't know how much that means to me." She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.  
"You're welcome, you troublesome woman." Shikamaru leaned back and closed his eyes. Within minutes, they were both fast asleep, curled up together in the middle of the street.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did but I don't.

Temari shivered. "Why am I so cold? What happened to my blanket?" Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to roll over but a weight on her waist prevented her from moving. She growled. "Kankuro, get out of my bed. You were sleepwalking again." There was no reply. That did it for Temari. She shot to her knees, intent on killing him. Her fist was three inches away from the other person's face when her blurry vision cleared enough to allow her to see Shikamaru laying there. Memories of yesterday flashed through her mind: saving Shikamaru, kissing Shikamaru, waiting with Shikamaru, talking with Gaara, then talking with Shikamaru. "Strange how most of my day was spent with Shikamaru."  
She poked him. "Wake up, sleepyhead. It's morning. Watch the sunrise with me." She blinked.

Wait a minute. What was she doing sleeping outside in the middle of the street with Shikamaru? Her cheeks flamed bright red as she realized that they had fallen asleep there last night. Her pokes evolved into jabs as she tried to wake the sleeping genius. "Wake up!"

The shadow boy groaned. "Too early. I wanna sleep. Go away."  
"Shikamaru, I told you to wake up!"  
His eyes flew open at the sound of Temari's voice and his startled gaze landed on her. "What's going on? Why are we in the street?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "You mean you don't remember?" At the shake of his head, she went on. "We slept together." She dissolved into laughter as his eyes widened in horror. He growled. "That wasn't funny." He sat up, yawned, stretched, and then turned his attention to the girl beside him. Her blonde hair was a mess, with strands falling out of her pigtails. The outfit she was wearing was wrinkled and had dirt sprinkled on it. He glanced down at himself and saw the same result. Temari grinned. "I thought it was. But you make it sound as if sleeping with me is a bad thing."  
He blushed and cleared his throat. _"She must like joking with me like that."_

"I just hope no one saw us. Can you imagine what would happen if someone did see us? We'd never live it down." Temari chuckled and stood to her feet, oblivious to the fact that he had to look away to avoid seeing up her dress. "Yeah. My mom definitely can't hear about this or I'm grounded for life." Groaning, he pushed himself to his feet and winced. _"Note to self. Never sleep on the ground again."_ "You act like you're scared of your mom." "That's because I am. She's scary. She's always yelling at me and it gets to be so troublesome."

Temari laughed. "That is your favorite word, isn't it? I bet everything is troublesome to you. I don't think I'll give you my address because it will most likely be too troublesome to write to me." "Stop using my word. And I would like to write to you. That way, we can get to know each other better."  
She gaped at him. "Are you saying that you really want to correspond with me?"  
"That's what I'm saying. Why do you look so surprised?" "Because I never expected you to say that. I mean, I'm three years older than you are so I just assumed..." She trailed off when he gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"I kinda like you." Shikamaru admitted. "You're not like the other girls from around here. You don't care about your clothes, your hair, or your weight." At her pointed look, he explained. "I saw you and your brothers eating a few times. I couldn't help but notice you ate almost as much as Kankuro. I don't mind it, though. I like a girl with a healthy appetite."

Temari smiled. "You're the first guy who's ever said something like that to me. Thanks. It's not healthy for a kunoichi to weigh hardly anything."  
Shikamaru shook his head. "I know Ino is obsessed with her weight."  
"Ino. That's the annoying blonde girl who fought against the annoying pink-haired girl, correct?"  
"Yeah. Ino's also my teammate." He grinned as her mouth formed a silent 'o'. "But, yeah, she is annoying. All girls are annoying. Hey! Don't hit me. I was kidding. You're not annoying. You're troublesome, woman."  
The Sand kunoichi growled and smacked him again. "It's basically the same thing."  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, can we go some place else? People are starting to wake up and-"

"And you don't want them to see you here with an older  
girl." She finished for him. "Let's go." She grabbed his wrist and started dragging him towards the hotel she was staying at.  
"Why are we going there?"  
"Because my brothers are going to be very worried if I don't show up and say that I'm fine. And if we both explain why I didn't come back last night, they might not kill you. Or me."

Shikamaru groaned. "Oh, man. I am dead."  
"Don't worry. I won't let them kill you."  
"No, not them. It's my dad." He pointed up ahead where they saw Shikaku walking towards them.  
"Maybe he didn't notice you were gone all night."  
"Yeah, right. And maybe the sky isn't blue. Hey, Dad. What's up?"

The elder Nara glared at his son. "What do you think you were doing staying out all night? Just because you're a Chunnin now doesn't mean you don't have a curfew. Now what were you-" He started when he noticed Temari standing there. A grin spread across his face. "Did my boy become a man?"  
A blush stained his son's cheeks. "Dad, shut up!" He hissed.  
Temari snickered behind her hand. "What's wrong, Shikamaru?" She cooed. "Is he embarrassing you?"  
Shikaku grinned. He was obviously enjoying his son's discomfort. "So did I hit the nail on the head?"  
"No, Dad. We didn't do anything. We just fell asleep together."  
"I see. You're lucky I'm the one who came into your room to wake you up. And no, your mom doesn't know. At least, not yet. And I seem to remember seeing you at the hospital with Shikamaru yesterday." He looked at Temari.  
"Yeah, I was there." "Dad, this is Temari."  
"Oh, the girl you fought against in the Chunnin exam? It's a pleasure to meet you, Temari. I'm Shikaku Nara, but you probably remember from yesterday what my name is."  
"It's nice to meet you, too." The kunoichi studied him. His hair was identical to Shikamaru's and he had two scars running across his face. She immediately liked him and couldn't help but compare him to her own father. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

_"Don't think about him. Whatever you do, don't think about him or you'll fall apart right here in front of them."_  
"Look, Dad, we'd like to stay and chat but I have to get her back to her hotel room or her brothers are going to kill me."  
"I don't think you have to worry about going back to the hotel."  
Shikamaru looked confused as he heard the tone of Temari's voice. She had seen something --or someone-- that made her upset. "What do you mean?" He panicked when he looked in the direction of where she was pointing. "Oh, man. I'm dead."

Coming down the street towards them, and not looking too happy, was her brother, Kankuro. When he was close enough to recognize them, a sneer crossed his lips. "What are you doing with my sister?! What did you do to her last night?!" He grabbed Shikamaru by the front of the vest and shook him once.

"Kankuro, knock it off! Leave him alone!" Temari demanded. "He didn't do anything to me." "Then why didn't you come back to the hotel room last night?"  
"Oh, since when have you ever cared about what time I come home? I don't question you about your private life!" She shot back.

"Since we're in a different village and I don't know the punks around here. I'm just trying to protect you."  
"I appreciate the concern, but I don't need your protection, Kankuro. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She spoke through gritted teeth.  
The puppet master sighed. "I know that you can take care of yourself, Tem, but don't forget that brothers are supposed to be protective. It's in our blood." He caught the dark look his sister sent him and said nothing more about that. "Anyway, Gaara's hungry and wants to eat so we better go now. We'll wait for you at the front of the hotel." After one more glare for Shikamaru, he walked off.  
"You still sure you want to get to know me better?" She muttered.  
"Well, now I'm not so sure. But then again, women are troublesome." He sighed. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to write to you since I'm sure it will hurt if I choose not to." He stumbled backwards as her fist connected to his jaw. "Aww, man. What did you do that for?"  
"No reason. I have to go now but I'll see you again later, right?"  
"Yeah, I guess so." He shied away from another would-be punch. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Yes, you will see me later."  
"Good." She kissed him lightly on the lips and hurried off to meet her brothers.  
Shikaku watched somewhat amused as his son stared after her.  
"You know something, Dad? In a few years, I just might believe what you said about the toughest woman being tender with the man she loves." Then he yawned and, proclaiming that it was still too early to be up and moving around, meandered to his favorite cloud watching spot and fell sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I will never own Naruto.

"Temari, stop lagging behind. We need to get going."  
"But he'll show up. I know he will. We just have to wait a few more minutes." Temari protested.  
"Temari, we don't have time. We've already spent three more days here than we should have." Gaara sighed.  
She frowned, not wanting to leave Konoha quite yet. It was peaceful here and besides, she hadn't seen Shikamaru since the night they fell asleep in the street. Needless to say, she had been disappointed, especially since he had promised they would get together again. None of his friends knew where he was. His blonde teammate hadn't seen him in any of his favorite places or even at the hospital. "Maybe he's not interested in me after all."  
The Sand ninja had just passed through the gate when they heard someone calling. Temari's spirit lifted immediately and she whirled around. "Shikamaru!" She held out a paper with her address on it and he took it.  
"Hey. Sorry I haven't been around lately, but I was elected to teach academy students." He shrugged, indicating the children behind him. "It's troublesome, but whatever."  
A cute girl with light brown hair in two pigtails clapped her hands together. She looked admiringly up at Temari. "When I'm older, I want to be a great kunoichi just like you!"  
Temari couldn't help but smile. The girl was adorable. She wondered briefly what it would be like to have a daughter with Shikamaru. She nearly blushed and quickly banished the thought from her mind. "That's an honor. Thank you."  
"Thanks for everything." Kankuro spoke up. "Bye."  
Temari turned and took a few steps, then paused. She glanced over her shoulder at Shikamaru. "If there's any more trouble, just call us and we'll come to help. Is that all right with you, Mr. Crybaby?" She smirked.  
The shadow ninja just grinned. "Women talk too much. That's why they're all..." He trailed off.  
Temari's eyes sparkled. He didn't have that lazy look on his face. Instead, she thought she recognized a few traces of interest. She refrained from kissing him. For one thing, there were kids around. She didn't want to be a bad example. For another, her brothers were there. She did not want Kankuro to become protective again.  
So she walked off, lifting a hand over her head before disappearing from view. She felt Shikamaru's gaze on her the whole time.  
They traipsed on in silence until Kankuro opened his mouth. "So, Temari, what exactly did you and shadow boy do a few nights ago?" He grinned.  
Temari groaned in exasperation. "Nothing, Kankuro! We did absolutely nothing! Can't you get it through your thick skull already?!" She tapped his forehead. "Nope. It's as hard as a rock."  
Kankuro scowled. "Shut up. I know that you like him."  
"Wh-what makes you say that?" She sputtered. "I don't like him."  
"Don't bother denying it. I can see it in your eyes."  
"Will you two please stop arguing?" Gaara sighed.  
Temari exchanged glances with Kankuro. "Yeah, sure."  
"I can't believe it. Gaara asked us to be quiet instead of threatening us to be quiet. I don't think I can get used to this. But then again, it will be nice to talk to Gaara without fearing for my life."  
She slowed her pace and, observing her brothers, smiled. They were talking and Gaara was even allowing Kankuro to joke around a little. She was even more amazed when a small smile crept across the red-head's face.  
"Maybe life will become normal now. Maybe I won't have to be so worried all the time." But even as she thought that, she knew that there would still be difficult times ahead. But now she knew she wasn't alone. She knew that there was someone who would pick her up and carry her when things got rough.  
Temari smiled to herself. "Thank you, Shikamaru. You've given me hope and courage to face the future."

Sorry it's so short, but I couldn't think of anything else to add...


	5. Epilogue

This will be the last chapter of this story. Thank you for reading it and reviewing I hope you enjoyed it. Oh, and keep a lookout. There might be a sequel...

(Five Years Later)

Temari stared at her reflection in the mirror, not believing that the woman staring back was indeed herself. The pure white kimono was trimmed with light purple flowers around the hem and the sleeves. Her blonde hair was piled in a bun on top of her head with small ringlets cascading around her face. She had applied a light touch of make-up, something she almost never did. White sandals replaced the black ones she normally wore.  
"Am I ready for this? I don't know if I am." Temari swallowed hard. Her stomach was in knots. Her palms were getting sweaty. For a second, she thought she was going to faint.  
"Temari?"  
The kunoichi turned around and was relieved to see her youngest brother, in the usual Kazekage garb, standing there. "Gaara. What are you doing back here? Is it time already?"  
The redhead shook his head. "No, not yet. Ten more minutes."  
"Oh..."  
Gaara studied his sister for a moment. He had never seen her so nervous before. She was pacing back and forth, only pausing occasionally to peer in the mirror. "Sit down."  
"I can't. I just...Oh, Gaara. I hate to admit it, but I'm scared..." She released a slow breath. The Kazekage remained silent, knowing that she would continue to talk. "I mean, Father wasn't very kind to any of us. Sure, he pretended to love us, but it was just a mask he wore to look good in the eyes of the village. I suppose I'm just afraid that Shikamaru will turn out to be the exact same way."  
"You're afraid he will treat you in the manner of how Father did? Is that what you're saying?"  
"In a word, yes. I don't know why I'm scared of it now. We've been dating for about five years and he's never hurt me..."  
"It's only your nerves talking, Temari. Don't worry. He won't hurt you. But if he does, you can be sure he'll hear about it. Besides, he loves you, right?" At her nod, he went on. "And if he loves you, he won't hurt you."  
Temari stared at Gaara. He was growing up before her eyes. It seemed like just yesterday he was a bloodthirsty thirteen year old. But now, he was a mature eighteen year old. He'd been Kazekage for four years now and Suna had never experienced a growth in military power like what was happening now. Tears stung her eyes as she realized that after today, she would no longer be living in Suna. She would no longer be there to look after her brothers.  
"I can't go through with this." She walked over to the window.  
"Why not? Temari, you don't have to worry. Come on. What happened to my big sister who wasn't afraid of anything?"  
"She's taking a vacation."  
"..." He turned towards the door. "All right. I'll be back."  
"Wait! Where are you going?" Temari called out.  
"To tell everyone the wedding is off."  
"Don't you dare! I am getting married today. Everyone is here, Gaara. Besides, I'm not going to humiliate Shikamaru like that. I said yes to his proposal and I meant it. I love him too much to back out now, even if I now have a case of pre-wedding jitters."  
Gaara smiled. "Good." He laughed softly at the look on her face.  
"You did that on purpose. You little sneak." Her smile softened. "I guess I can't call you little anymore, can I? You're now taller than I am...But to me, you'll always be my little brother." A tear slid down her cheek.  
Gaara silently crossed over and hugged her. "And no matter what, you'll always be my big sister."  
The two siblings stood there quietly until the door opened once more and their other brother poked his head in. "It's almost time." Kankuro observed them then decided to join them. He wasn't usually one for family togetherness, but this would be the last time that all three of them would have the same last name.  
"Tem, you don't have to worry. If he ever does anything to upset you, just tell me and he'll be in a million pieces faster than he can say 'ouch'." He winced as her fist connected with his arm. "Hey, don't hurt me. I was trying to make you feel better."  
"Thanks." Temari smiled at her brothers. "Look, before it's time, I want to talk to you two. Kankuro, make sure you help Gaara in any way he needs." She paused. "But if he needs advice about girls, you better let me handle that. And Gaara, just be yourself and don't worry about what anyone else says. Oh, yeah. You better grab Sakura quickly or some other boy is going to capture her heart." She grinned as he turned a light crimson. "I love you both. If you two ever need something, just send a messenger and I'll be there as soon as I can."  
"Don't worry so much, Tem. We can take care of ourselves. We aren't invalids." The puppet master rolled his eyes.  
"Yeah, which is why you nearly burned the house down trying to cook last month." Gaara muttered.  
Temari burst out laughing. "And you complained about my cooking!"  
"Hey, at least I tried. And I'm surprised that your cooking tastes like food instead of road kill. Of course, you did take cooking classes so you could impress Shikamaru." Kankuro doubled over in pain as his sister's elbow dug into his stomach. "Hey! That was a compliment!"  
"Yeah, whatever."  
All of a sudden, the door burst open and Naruto was framed in the doorway. "Hey, you guys! It's time! You're late!" Then he was gone just as soon as he had come.  
Temari blinked. "Was that...Naruto?"  
"Saying that the wedding is going to be starting now?" Kankuro asked.  
"Yes. We had better get going." Gaara stated. "You ready, Temari?"  
She took a deep breath and managed to fake a smile. "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this." Her heart pounded as the three of them heard the music begin to play. In just a few moments, she would no longer be Temari no Sabaku, but Temari Nara. Her heart pounded with excitement and nervousness. "I really hope I am ready for this. I'm twenty-one. He's eighteen. Is he too young to get married?"  
But there was no time to think about that now. She and her brothers were standing in front of Shikamaru. She swallowed hard when the pastor (A/N: priest?) spoke.  
"Who gives this woman to this man?"  
Gaara and Kankuro looked at each other. Temari had not been able to decide whom she wanted to walk her down the aisle so she had chosen both of them. But she had declared it was none of her concern which one of them did the talking.  
"You two discuss it between yourselves. Just as long as I get married, I'm okay with it." She had firmly stated, glancing at Gaara. Her youngest brother had been leery of her marrying that "lazy bum of a ninja", but Temari had refused to listen to him.  
"Look, Shikamaru will provide for me. He has a solid job as a tactician. Sure, he may be younger than I am, but age doesn't matter when it comes to love."  
It had taken time, but Temari finally managed to persuade Gaara that Shikamaru did not intend to break up their little family. Of course, Temari had threatened to kill Shikamaru if he didn't try to talk to Gaara and convince Gaara that he wasn't the bad guy.  
It was Shikamaru's mother, Yoshino, who disliked the marriage more than anyone else. Yoshino had expressed her concern about her son marrying an older woman. Temari assumed that that was just an excuse and the real reason was because of her history with past men. Shikaku had actually taken a liking to her almost immediately. He knew that she would be good for Shikamaru and that he would be good for her. Yoshino accepted the younger woman when she heard that Temari's brother was the Kazekage and that a marriage between Suna and Konoha ninja would make the alliance stronger.  
Temari jerked back to the present when Gaara cleared his throat. "I do." He turned to Shikamaru. "But if you ever hurt her, I'll take her away from you and you'll never see her again."  
Slight laughter rippled across the room. Temari just felt like disappearing. Shikamaru, however, didn't seem phased by the threat at all. He just smiled.  
"You have my word, Gaara. I will never hurt your sister." The shadow ninja said softly.  
Temari breathed a sigh of relief when Kankuro and Gaara hugged her. Shikamaru took her hand and gave her a soft smile. He didn't say anything but he didn't need to. His black eyes spoke volumes. Staring into them, she saw the promise of a wonderful future. A future where she was loved. A future where they would raise a family. A future where they would grow old together.  
A tear sparkled at the corner of her eye. He frowned and brushed it away. "You okay?" He whispered.  
She nodded. "Thank you, Shikamaru. Thank you for loving me."  
He gently kissed her forehead. "You're welcome." He said softly. "You're welcome."  
Temari squeezed his hand tighter and thought about how this had come to pass. It was all because she had kissed him in a tree after defeating Tayuya. She chuckled. "Now that would be an interesting story to tell to our children and grandchildren. I guess we have Tayuya to thank for bringing us together." A small thrill of delight coursed through her body. She was unaware of everything except the man standing before her. She didn't remember saying a single thing and was surprised when the pastor (A/Npriest?) announced that Shikamaru could kiss the bride.  
Shikamaru smothered a yawn with his hand. "Finally." He muttered. "I was about to fall asleep." He grinned at the look Temari gave him.  
"Well, you heard him." She hissed. "Kiss me."  
He groaned. "We're married for ten seconds and already you're bossing me around. Troublesome woman..." But he nevertheless leaned down and captured her lips with his. Twenty seconds later, he pulled apart. "I think we just broke the record for the longest kiss in a wedding." Everyone laughed.  
"It is my pleasure to introduce to you, for the very first time, Shikamaru and Temari Nara."  
They turned towards the crowd, their hands clasped together. She turned sideways to look at him. "You know something?"  
"Hmmm?"  
"I love you."  
"I love you, too, troublesome woman." Shikamaru once again kissed her. Everything faded away into the background as they focused on each other. They didn't hear Naruto yelling at them to "get a room." They didn't hear Sakura and Ino arguing about who was going to catch the bouquet. They didn't hear Chouji complaining that he was hungry.  
They could only hear the silent promises they whispered to each other. Promises of love. Promises of forever.


End file.
